NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has recently released
its annual ‘Crime on Campus’ publication, detailing the volume and nature
of crime on Tennessee’s college and university campuses.
The report compiles data submitted to TBI through the state’s Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System (TIBRS).
Among the report’s findings:
•Crime reported by Tennessee colleges and universities decreased 15.5 percent from 2017 to 2018.
•Robbery offenses decreased significantly, by 50 percent, in the same time period.
•The overall category of ‘Sex Offenses – Non-Consensual’ decreased by 17.8 percent in 2018, with reported ‘Rape’ offenses decreasing 10.2 percent.
“This report will hopefully assist law enforcement, institution administrators, and government officials in planning their efforts in the fight against crime and create an awareness that crime exists as a threat in our communities,” said TBI
Director David Rausch. “I wish to express my appreciation to all institutions of higher learning that consistently support a unified crime reporting system in Tennessee.”
In accordance to federal guidelines, the TBI
discourages the use of its crime data to compare one agency to another. It is far more appropriate, in the TBI’s assessment, to compare an agency’s statistics over time.
The full report is available for review on the TBI’s website: www.tn.gov/tbi.

The Tennessee House of Representatives has approved an initiative sponsored by Representative Timothy Hill (R-Blountville) that cracks down on domestic violence offenders.
House Bill 516 raises minimum fines against those who knowingly violate orders of protection or restraining orders from $25 to $100.
It is part of a much larger Republican-led effort in recent years to enhance protections for victims of domestic violence and abuse.
“This measure increases penalties against those who violate orders of protection and who must be held accountable for their actions,” said Representative Hill. “It is an honor to bring this legislation in support of victims and their families. I will continue to partner with our law enforcement agencies so we can enhance safety for the citizens of our community and this state.”
In 2018, Hill also supported legislation that created the “Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program.” This measure keeps the personal addresses of domestic violence victims confidential and off certain government records.
House Bill 516 now awaits action in the Senate. Timothy Hill is Chairman of the House Commerce Committee. He is also a member of the House Calendar & Rules Committee, as well as the Business, Utilities, Banking & Investments, and Life & Health Insurance
Subcommittees. Hill represents Tennessee House District 3, which includes Johnson, and part of Carter and Sullivan Counties. Hill can be reached by email at: Rep.Timothy.Hill@capitol.tn.gov or by calling (615) 741-2050.

There are many specialty license plates available in the state of Tennessee which people use them to show their support for various causes or to show their status as a veteran for example. Specialty plates cost an extra $35.00 each year in Tennessee. The money collected from the additional costs of these plates goes towards each of the causes represented on them. Each plate must have enough interest and support represented in their purchases to remain available though.
In 2016, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Tennessee lost their specialty license plates after drivers failed to purchase the required minimum number to keep the plates in circulation.
However, Senator Paul Bailey has granted MADD Tennessee another chance. If MADD can pre-sell 1000 plates before June 30, 2019, the design will be back in circulation. It is a daunting challenge, but more is at stake than just a decorative license plate.
“Our plates serve as rolling billboards to bring awareness to the issue drunk and/or drugged driving, and what better place to have a message regarding highway safety?” said Norris Skelley, MADD Tennessee State Board member. Not only do these license plates raise awareness, but the proceeds MADD receives from each plate helps fund their Victim Services Program–which provides help to those that have been affected by impaired driving–at no cost to the victims and their families. It is a critical source of funding that was lost when the plates were discontinued.
Anyone interested in pre-ordering a MADD plate should visit tnmaddplates.com and sign up. When the minimum of 1,000 pre-orders has been reached, then the $35.00 per plate will be due.
“Our plates are used to raised awareness about drunk/drugged driving, raise the necessary funding for victim services and to honor victims of impaired driving crashes, Skelley said
While there is currently no Johnson County Chapter of MADD, several locals have been working on starting one for quite some time, but have not gotten the needed support to do so.
Jeanie Linton, the mother of Jadey Dunn who was tragically killed by a drunk driver in Mountain City 20 years ago, has been trying since then to start a local chapter for Johnson County.
“We never could get the support we needed to have enough people to commit to it for MADD to let us have a chapter here,” said Linton. “I’m not ready to give up though.”
For more information regarding MADD Tennessee specialty license plates, contact Norris Skelley at norrisskelley@gmail.com or 931-261-4168.
For more information about starting a Johnson County MADD chapter, please contact the Tennessee State Office at tn.state@madd.org or 615-360-8055.

One of the defendants following the incident on December 28, 2018, where a victim in the Cold Springs community had her home broken into by two individuals and was locked in a room of her house, has pled guilty.
According to law enforcement officials, Willie Davis, 41 of Bristol Tennessee, pled guilty in Johnson County Criminal Court on Friday, March 29, 2019.
Not mincing any words, Judge Lisa Rice sentenced Davis to 20 years to be served at 100 percent.
The incident was investigated by Johnson County Investigators, assisted by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.
Initial reports stated that two suspects including Willie Davis and Jennifer Jenkins, 42, of Sullivan County were involved in an armed robbery and aggravated kidnapping in Johnson County, which ended after a pursuit, assisted by deputies from Sullivan County.
According to police reports, the victim was locked inside one of the rooms of the home but was eventually able to escape and flee to a residence nearby to call for assistance. The victim was then treated at an area hospital for minor injuries
Davis and Jenkins were apprehended on January 1, 2019.
“We would like to thank the Sullivan County Sheriffs Office for their time, efforts and assistance in the apprehension of these two subjects,” said JC Sheriff Eddie Tester following the suspects’ arrest. “All deputies involved did an excellent job.”
With more charges pending, Davis and Jenkins were arraigned on Wednesday morning, January 2, 2019, in Johnson County.
Davis and Jenkins were charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, aggravated robbery, and false reporting.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Each day we lose three Tennesseans to suicide, now the ninth leading cause of death in Tennessee. In 2017, there were 142 youth deaths by suicide, representing the twenty-four (10-24) age group, with 51 of these representing children between the ages of ten to seventeen (10-17). Suicide by children increased by
24.4 percent from 2016 to 2017; and more alarmingly, suicide by children increased by 54.5 percent from 2015 to 2017.
“One death by suicide is one death too many,” said Scott Ridgway, Executive Director of the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN). “Given the stark increase in death by suicide among children, we are working with Governor-elect Bill Lee’s transition team to impress the importance of saving all lives in Tennessee and improving our prevention efforts.”
The Tennessee Department of Health’s Office of Health Statistics reports there were 1,163 recorded suicide
deaths in Tennessee in 2017, up from 1,110 the previous year. The suicide rate increased from 16.7 to 17.3 per 100,000. Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death in Tennessee during 2014 – 2016.
The “2019 Status of Suicide in Tennessee” report provides state legislators, mental health professionals, and the general public with information on the problem of suicide in our state and what is being done to prevent it. Each year’s edition includes a detailed report on suicide trends within Tennessee, both overall and by age, race, gender, and geography. The complete report is available on the TSPN website at http://tspn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/TSPN-Status-of-Suicide-2019.pdf.
As TSPN staff, its many volunteers, and the innumerable suicide prevention advocates across the state know, Tennessee is a national model with our efforts for suicide prevention. With that said, we must, as a state, increase our efforts to combat this public health crisis. For every number and rate that is provided in the “2019 Status of Suicide in Tennessee” report, a family member, loved one, neighbor, co-worker, and friend suffers an unimaginable loss. To learn how to get involved with TSPN or to request a suicide prevention training visit our website, http://tspn.org/.